Prepping for Elk Season with Michael Batease

Show Notes:

My buddy Michael Batease is here, and I’m picking his brain on elk hunting. He’s counting down the days until the season, which is right around the corner. I feel like this is the first hunting season that has snuck up on me. Michael got married just a few weeks ago, and now that his focus is off the wedding, he’s prepping for opening day. For the rest of July and August, he’ll be getting his trail cameras out and scouting new areas. Michael lives within a couple of hours from his hunting area, and he often does a quick trip up after work for a glassing session.

Each year, Michael picks a new area to explore, and he’s always looking for backup plans in case one place has too many people or experiences damage. Here, he shares his game plan when he goes into a new area, which starts from home using tools like Fat Map and OnX. He’s also strategic about where he sets up his trailer and base camp. Michael loves night bugling so that’s a big factor in how he chooses a spot, along with a place that has good access for vehicles.

Michael says if there’s a funky horn bull out there, he’ll find it. He loves calling for other people, and everyone he’s called for has at least one bull that’s scored well in the books. I talked to Michael about some of the things he does to tip the odds in his favor early in the year. He also shares why he loves cow and calf calls and some good stories about using calls on the hunt. I ask Michael how to track down a bull who’s far away and what to do if he has cows with him or if he’s alone. He provides tips on how to move in and shares some of the mistakes people make.

Michael has an elk calling academy, and he’s partnered up with Howl for Wildlife. When you become a member of Howl, you’ll get free access to the course included in your membership. 

What’s Inside:

• Michael’s game plan for going into a new area.

Mentioned in this episode

Days In The Wild Podcast

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Howl for Wildlife: https://www.howlforwildlife.org/

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big game hunting, hunting tips, hunting guide, buck hunting, hunting stories, elk hunting, elk season, prepping, cows, calves, bugling, bugle, calls